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Welcome!
Your Chamber testifed Friday June 29 on the proposed National Great River Park before the City of Saint Paul Planning Commission. The premise of the National Great River Park is to revitalize the City’s riverfront as “more natural, more urban and more connected.” The Mississippi River is an important natural, economic and recreational asset to the region. Your Chamber believes the current National Great River Park plan does not recognize the River as an important economic development tool and is neglecting the “more urban” part of the plan.
Your Chamber recently testified in opposition to the proposed Mississippi River Critical Area Zoning Overlay at the Saint Paul Planning Commission. The Saint Paul Pioneer Press followed with an editorial supporting our position of the importance of finding balance between protecting the river and future development of the city. The full editorial can be found at http://www.twincities.com/ci_6171096. This issue will heat up as recommendations are sent to the City Council later this summer.
The Chamber/Highland Business Association Ford Site Business Advisory group supports the City of Saint Paul appointed Ford Site Task Force’s decision to move into Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) process with all five remaining site schemes. The AUAR will analyze traffic generation, air pollution, storm-water flow, and other environmental factors for each site scheme. A parallel fiscal analysis will also occur. The task force will not meet during the summer but will stay connected to review preliminary findings. When the AUAR process is complete the task force will select a preferred scheme and present it to the planning commission. Your Chamber will continue to be engaged in this process. For more information please contact Michael Belaen at 651.265.2773.
HealthEast to Expand
As the population in the east metro continues to expand, the HealthEast Care System will infuse almost $6 million into two of its east metro hospitals: Woodwinds Health Campus and St. John’s Hospital. The Woodbury facility, Woodwinds will feature a $3.5 million renovation, which will add 8-10 beds for maternity and general medical purposes. Nonpatient services housed in that area of the hospital, including education, staffing and quality management services, medical records and a lounge, will move to an adjoining medical office building. HealthEast has decided to move all cancer services to St. John’s Hospital near Maplewood. The St. John’s facility will be home to 9,000 square foot cancer center complete with 10 oncology and chemotherapy beds and 10 exam rooms.
Source: Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, June 28, 2007
JLT submits new Bridges design
JLT Group submitted new plans June 19, eight months after they withdrew their first plan for The Bridges of Saint Paul development. The new Bridges plan reduces one of the condo towers by four stories, allowing for a more playful skyline, developer Jerry Trooien said. It also calls for enhancing the pedestrian experience by widening riverfront walkways, expanding the outdoor dining areas and creating connections and public plazas that would bring people to the water's edge. Whether those changes will be enough to get the final go-ahead is anyone's guess. Trooien said he still plans to ask the city for about $125 million in tax-increment financing for public infrastructure.
Source: Pioneer Press
Brooks Group plans to transform the first floors of two buildings it owns into casual dining spots. For the first, a former grocery store in the Stevens Building at the corner of Sixth and Wacouta streets, Brooks has signed on Jason Clark and Rebecca Krieg to open A Knight's Tale. The 124-seat restaurant, bar and lounge will feature organic pastas and Neapolitan pizzas, with a focus on ingredients from the nearby St. Paul Farmers' Market. The opening is scheduled for this fall.
Source: Pioneer Press
Los Angeles firm tops bid for Jail and West Publishing properties
A Los Angeles-based telecommunications services company, Hi-Tech Component Distributors, which sells telecom services to small businesses, topped the list of bidders for two major riverfront redevelopment opportunities in downtown St. Paul. Hi-Tech Component Distributors offered $15.5 million on the two properties. The company has said they do not want to redevelop the site.
Source: Pioneer Press
Space Alerts:
If you are in need of space, or know someon looking to relocate in the Saint Paul/East Metro area contact Michael Belaen at 651.265.2773 or
michael@saintpaulchamber.com.
Advertise here! Sponsorship opportunities for this newsletter are available. Contact Micheal Belaen at michael@saintpaulchamber.com or 651.265.2773 for more information.
Project models wanted for display in economic development showcases
The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce appreciates new development in the Saint Paul/East Metro area. To help promote new development projects, your Chamber offers businesses a chance to display designs and models in front of the Chamber of Commerce Center. Five showcases are available and each can hold a display up to 4’x4’ and 18 inches tall. There is no charge to use the showcases. If you would like to display your project, please contact Michael Belaen at 651.265.2773 or email michael@saintpaulchamber.com.
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